A-Trak

After the resounding dullness of his Nike + Original Run mix of originally produced material, jet-setting turntablist extraordinaire A-Trak goes back to his roots and unequivocally returns to primo party mix form with the latest installment in the Fabriclive series (45 for those counting).

What should separate someone like A-Trak putting together a mix under the Fabric branding goliath from any other bedroom DJ downloading a bevy of Top 20 tracks from Beatport is not just selection, but programming. A-Trak drops some tracks anyone following the scene has likely heard (Say Whoa, Oh!, Move Move), but the former DMC-champ weaves them masterfully into a sublime shake-dat-ass tapestry not seen in either Fabric series since DJ Craze (not coincidentally, another ex-DMC champion).

A-Trak actually ups the ante on Craze by straddling the dance and club genres to perfection, offering up a wide-ranging sonic palette that includes old tunes, rebooted retakes of old tunes, and some of the latest in electro, Baltimore club, Detroit techno, UK grime, garage and nu-disco.

After a collection of more or less straight house to kick the mix off, the grimier grooves of Voodoo Chill’s “Get On Down” start to give an indication of where this mix is headed once it hits stride. The juxtaposition of DJ Class’s ghetto fabulous “I’m the Ish” and the forlorn, indie-techno vibe of Diskjokke’s remix of Metronomy’s “Heartbreaker” says everything about the spectrum swings between two tracks A-Trak goes for on this mix. That it works is somewhat baffling, but like the art of the mid-range jump shot in the NBA, the “I can’t believe he pulled that off” is increasingly lost on the trained ear, making the shock of experiencing it that much more pleasurable.

The mix hits primetime when the massively chunky basslines of Robbie Rivera’s “Move Move” (remixed by DJ Observer and Daniel Heathcliff) and Daniele Papini’s “Church of Nonsense” are paired. You’ll probably throw up in your mouth. Just a little bit. Disgusting goodness.

It tapers off a bit toward the end, making the requisite after-party vibe descent that so many DJ’s are needlessly tacking on to 70-minute compilations these days. A-Trak does it in his own funky way, however, letting it represent a shift in energy without giving up the vibe.

—Chris Nelson
05.11.09